This invention relates to a cloth spreading machine, and more particularly to a turntable for a cloth spreading machine.
Conventionally, a cloth spreading machine supporting a roll or other supply of cloth is adapted to travel longitudinally in reverse reciprocal directions along the length of a cutting table. The cutting table may have a track along one edge or a track along both edges, either of which is adapted to support the track wheels of a cloth spreading machine located along one side of the machine. The remaining non-track wheels merely roll over the surface of the cutting table.
A two-way cloth spreading machine is adapted to lay the cloth in both longitudinal directions along the cutting table. As the direction of spreading is changed, the ends of the cloth are folded. The spreading continues until the desired number of layers of cloth have been accumulated.
In a one-way machine, the cloth spreading machine stops after one layer of cloth has been spread, while the end of the cloth is cut. The machine then dead-heads in the reverse direction, without spreading cloth, to its initial position for spreading a second layer of cloth in the same direction as the first layer. The cycle is repeated.
In a turntable cloth spreading machine, the cloth is spread in one direction, the machine stops, the cloth is cut, the turntable supporting the cloth supply is rotated, and then the cloth is spread in the opposite direction. The machine is again stopped, the cloth is cut and the turntable rotates to its original position, to resume the cycle.
Where it is desired to spread layers of cloth of directional napped material, such as corduroy, in pairs with their napped surfaces face-to-face, and extending in the same direction, none of the above machines or methods of spreading are adequate, unless the cloth roll is turned 180.degree. about a vertical axis at each end of the traverse, or unless the machine is turned around 180.degree..